MKTG 440
More specific:
Specify who, what, when, and where.
| The Ws | Defining the question |
|---|---|
| Who | The respondent • It is not clear whether the question relates to the individual respondent or the respondent’s total household. |
| What | The brand of shampoo • It is unclear how the respondent is to answer this question if more than one brand is used. |
| When | Unclear • The time frame is not specified. The respondent could interpret it as the shampoo used this morning, this week, or over the past year. |
| Where | Not specified • At home, at the gym, on the road? |
A leading question introduces bias by suggesting desired answers.
A loaded question suggests a socially desirable answer or involves an emotionally charged issue.
Leading questions encourage or guide the respondent towards a desired answer.
Loaded questions assume something about the respondent or the consequences of the response.
Two “wrongs” don’t make a “right” in surveys.
A nominal scale should have a category for every possible response.
A double-barreled question asks about two things at once, making responses ambiguous.
Better:
Better:
Use pre-configured Likert Scales (remember that equal distance is an assumption):
Ratio scales should have a range that captures the full distribution of responses.
Three key questions:
Each suggests a different reason for why a respondent might be unable or unwilling to answer a survey question.
Screening questions (filter questions) prevent unqualified respondents from being included in the study.
Sometimes combined with a “skip question”, used if the next question (or set of questions) should be responded to only by respondents who satisfy a previous condition.
Answering questions requires effort. Recall is effort. Writing is effort.
Can the respondent remember?
Note: you can also measure soft drinks in bottles/cans.
Structured (multiple choice):
Structured (dichotomous):
| Unstructured (Open Ended) | Structured (Closed-Ended) | |
|---|---|---|
| Examples | • Sentences • Unaided recall |
• Multiple choice • Dichotomous • Scaled response |
| Pros | • Rich array of information • Good for exploratory research when we are unsure what specific questions to ask |
• Easier for respondent to answer • Easier to code, tabulate, and interpret data • Less interviewer error |
| Cons | • Burdensome for respondent • Not good for self-administered surveys • Difficult to analyze |
• Less flexible than open-ended (not good for exploratory research) |
Respondents may be unwilling to disclose, or unwilling to accurately disclose, sensitive information because this may cause embarrassment or threaten the respondent’s prestige or self-image.
In a study about gambling and drinking behavior in casinos, the researchers want to identify the participants’ gambling habits.
Source: fivethirtyeight
Source: cnbc
Consider these two questions:
Question A: “In selecting a department store, how important is convenience of location?”
Question B: “What considerations are important to you in selecting a department store?”
Should A or B come earlier in the questionnaire? Why?
| Location | Type | Examples | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screeners | Screening questions | Do you own a bicycle? | To identify target respondents. |
| First few | Warm-ups | What brand bicycle do you own? | To ensure the survey is simple and easy to answer. Establish a rapport. |
| First third | Transitions | What features do you like best about your bicycle? | General questions. |
| Middle | Difficult and complicated questions | Please rate your bicycle on each of the following dimensions. | The respondent has committed to completing the questionnaire. |
| Last few | Demographic questions | What is the highest level of education you have attained? | Avoid making respondent feel uneasy early. |
An order effect is a systematic change in survey responses caused by a question’s position within the survey.
Why it happens:
Best practices for question wording:
Best practices for survey structure:
Let’s look at how professional organizations structure their surveys:
MKTG 440 | Prof. Nolan